Filter contamination control device

ABSTRACT

A biological specimen filter, for use in a biological specimen collection and transfer system having a vacuum source, comprises a tubular body having an exterior surface, an interior chamber, a first end configured to couple to the vacuum source, and a second end having an opening in communication with the chamber, and a fluid trap extending around at least a portion of a circumference of the exterior surface of the tubular body and sized and shaped to catch fluid flowing along the exterior surface as the tubular body is inverted from a first position, in which the opening is submerged in a fluid source, to a second position, in which the opening is removed from the fluid source.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present inventions generally relate to devices for collecting andtransferring microscopic particles to prepare biological specimens, andmore particularly, to devices for controlling contamination associatedwith such devices.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Many medical diagnostic tests, such as pap smears, require a physicianto collect cells by brushing and/or scraping a skin or mucous membranein a target area with an instrument. The collected cells are typicallysmeared (“fixed”) onto a slide, and stained to facilitate examinationunder a microscope by a cytotechnologist and/or pathologist. Forexample, a pathologist may employ a polychrome technique, characterizedby staining the nuclear part of the cells, to determine the presence ofdysplasia or neoplasia. The pathologist may also apply a counter-stainfor viewing the cytoplasm of the cells. Because the sample may containdebris, blood, mucus and other obscuring artifacts, the test may bedifficult to evaluate, and may not provide an accurate diagnosticassessment of the collected sample.

Cytology based on the collection of the exfoliated cells into a liquidpreservative offers many advantages over the traditional method ofsmearing the cells directly onto the slide. A slide can be prepared fromthe cell suspension using a filter transfer technique, as disclosed inU.S. Pat. Nos. 6,572,824, 6,318,190, 5,772,818, 5,364,597 and 5,143,627,which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

Filter transfer methods generally start with a collection of cellssuspended in a liquid in a container. These cells may be collected anddispersed into a liquid preservative or they may naturally exist in acollected biological liquid. Dispersion in liquid preservativescontaining methanol, such as PreservCyt™ solution, breaks up mucus andlyses red blood cells and inflammatory cells, without affecting thecells of interest. A filter cartridge with a fixed diameter aperturecovered by a membrane is submerged into the liquid in the container.Subsequently, the liquid is drawn across the membrane and into thefilter cartridge to concentrate and collect the cells on the membrane.Debris, such as lysed blood cells and dispersed mucus, which flowthrough the pores of the membrane, are not collected on the membrane andare greatly reduced in the collected specimen by the combined methods ofdispersion and filtering.

The cells collected on the membrane are transferred onto a slide forfurther processing, such as visual examination. To facilitate thistransfer of collected cells from membrane to slide, an arm repositionsthe membrane of the filter cartridge close to a slide. The arm removesthe filter cartridge from the liquid filled container, and moves androtates it. When the filter cartridge is removed from the liquid, someof the liquid clings to the outside of the filter cartridge. When thefilter cartridge is moved and rotated, this liquid may drip andcontaminate the arm, which is non-disposable.

Contamination has at least two consequences. First, some biologicalsamples are very inconvenient, if not impossible, to re-harvest. Whileit is highly inconvenient for a patient to repeat a pap smear, it is maynot be possible to repeat a biopsy on a mole that has been removed totest for malignancy. Second, for those situations where a second samplecollection is not a viable option, chain of custody issues can haveserious repercussions. Such chain of custody issues can call into doubtentire batches of test results and, in the worst cases, all results froma clinical lab.

In order to minimize contamination by liquid clinging to the outside ofthe filter cartridge, some filter transfer devices include an absorbentpad attached to the arm in order to catch any dripping liquid. Such padscan consist of a porous polyethylene treated with a surfactant toimprove absorbency. For cell based studies, such pads have been provento be effective for preventing contamination. For DNA based studies,concerns have been raised about the efficacy of using such pads toprevent contamination.

Alternatively, in semi-automatic filter transfer devices, the interfacewith the filter cartridge can be repeatedly removed and cleaned.However, this alternative is difficult to implement in a fully automaticdevice and it is labor intensive. Further, repeated cleaning reduces thelife expectancy of the rubber o-rings sealing the interface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In some embodiments, a biological specimen filter, for use in abiological specimen collection and transfer system having a vacuumsource, comprises a tubular body having an exterior surface, an interiorchamber, a first end configured to couple to the vacuum source, and asecond end having an opening in communication with the chamber, and afluid trap extending around at least a portion of a circumference of theexterior surface of the tubular body and sized and shaped to catch fluidflowing along the exterior surface as the tubular body is inverted froma first position, in which the opening is submerged in a fluid source,to a second position, in which the opening is removed from the fluidsource.

The fluid trap is disposed proximate the first end of the tubular bodyand comprises an absorbent ring. The fluid trap also comprises achannel, with either a u-shaped or v-shaped cross-section, in which theabsorbent ring is disposed. The fluid trap may comprise a flangeattached to the exterior surface of the tubular body or it may beintegrally formed from the tubular body.

In some embodiments, a biological specimen collection and transfersystem, comprises a biological specimen slide processor, including agrasper configured to submerge an open end of a specimen filter into afluid source, withdraw the open end of the specimen filter from of thefluid source, and invert the specimen filter, and a fluid trap extendingaround at least a portion of a circumference of the exterior surface ofthe tubular body and sized and shaped to catch fluid flowing along theexterior surface as the tubular body is inverted by the grasper.

In some embodiments, a biological specimen filter device for use in abiological specimen collection and transfer system, the system includinga vacuum source, the specimen filter comprises a tubular body having anexterior surface, an interior chamber, a first end configured to coupleto the vacuum source, and a second end having an opening incommunication with the chamber, and an absorbent member disposed aroundat least a portion of a circumference of the exterior surface of thetubular body and sized and shaped to catch fluid flowing along theexterior surface as the tubular body is inverted from a first position,in which the opening is submerged in a fluid source, to a secondposition, in which the opening is removed from the fluid source.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to better understand and appreciate the invention, referenceshould be made to the drawings and accompany detailed description, whichillustrate and describe exemplary embodiments thereof. For ease inillustration and understanding, similar elements in the differentillustrated embodiments are referred to by common reference numerals. Inparticular:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary filter/container interfaceof a biological specimen collection and transfer system, in which thefilter is positioned to collect a biological specimen;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the filter/container interface ofFIG. 1 through line a-a;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary filter/stem interface of abiological specimen collection and transfer system, in which the filteris positioned to transfer a biological specimen;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface of FIG. 3through line b-b;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary filter/stem interface of abiological specimen collection and transfer system, in which the filteris positioned to transfer a biological specimen;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface of FIG. 5through line c-c;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface of FIG. 5through line c-c, in which an absorbent ring is disposed in the unshapedfluid trap;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an exemplary filter/stem interface of abiological specimen collection and transfer system, in which the filteris positioned to transfer a biological specimen;

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface of FIG. 8through line d-d;

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface of FIG. 8through line d-d, in which an absorbent ring is disposed in the unshapedfluid trap.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an exemplary filter/stem interface of abiological specimen collection and transfer system, in which the filteris positioned to transfer a biological specimen; and

FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view of the filter/stem interface of FIG.11 through line e-e, in which an absorbent ring is disposed around thefilter cartridge.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

In the following description of the illustrated embodiments, it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art that the drawings and specificcomponents thereof are not necessarily to scale, and that variousstructural changes may be made without departing from the scope ornature of the various embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a filter/container interface 10 of abiological specimen collection and transfer system 12 is shown. In thisembodiment, the filter/container interface 10 includes a stem 14, airtight seals 16, a filter cartridge 18, and a sample container 20. Thestem 14 is connected, with the air tight seals 16, to the filtercartridge 18. The stem 14, in turn, is connected to a vacuum source 11.

The filter cartridge 18 includes a tubular body 22 with a membrane 24 ata second end 26 and a first end 28 configured to connect to the stem 14.The second end 24 is configured to be submerged into a liquid 30containing a biological specimen (not shown), such as collected cervicalcells. The sample container 20 holds the liquid 30.

The membrane 24 takes the form of a porous polycarbonate membranetreated with a wetting agent, as commercially available frommanufacturers to be hydrophilic. The membrane 24 is on the order ofseven microns thick, and is available commercially from PoreticsCorporation, Livermore, Calif. 94550, and from Nuclepore Corporation,Pleasanton, Calif. 94566. The tubular body 22 is molded as a singlepiece, from polystyrene resin marketed by the Dow Chemical Company underthe designation Styron 685D. Consequently, there are no seams betweenthese parts that may leak under pressure during use of the filterdevice. Alternatively, however, the tubular body 22 may be initiallyformed as separate pieces and then bonded together.

During collection of the biological specimen, the second end 26 of thetubular body 22 is first submerged into the liquid 30 in the samplecontainer 20 then withdrawn out the liquid 30. To prepare to transferthe biological specimen, the filter cartridge 18 is inverted, as shownin FIGS. 3 and 4. Some of the liquid 30 clings to the outside of thefilter cartridge 18 and drips onto the collection and transfer system12. It can be appreciated that this liquid 30 can contaminate thecollection and transfer system 12 and other filter cartridges 18 andsample containers 20 that may be used with the collection and transfersystem 12.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a filter cartridge 18 is shown with a fluidtrap 32 disposed at the first end 28 of the tubular body 22. In thisembodiment, the fluid trap 32 is u-shaped, forming an annular cavity 34.Alternatively, the fluid trap 32 can be v-shaped. The fluid trap isbonded to the first end 28 of the tubular body 22 with the cavity 34open to the second end 26.

The fluid trap 32 is bonded to the tubular body 22 with a bondingchemical 36. Suitable chemicals 36 for bonding include adhesives andsolvents that can partially melt the fluid trap 32 and the tubular body22.

Alternatively, the fluid trap 32 can also be heat bonded orultrasonically bonded to the tubular body. In heat bonding, the fluidtrap 32 is heat welded to the tubular body 22 by a heated ram. Asuitable ultrasonic bonding process is available from Polyfiltronics,Inc. of Rockland, Mass. 02370.

When the filter cartridge 18 is removed from the liquid 30 and inverted,as described above, the liquid 30 drips from second end 26 toward thefirst end 28 and the collection and transfer system 12. The cavity 34 ofthe unshaped fluid trap 32 catches the dripping liquid 30, minimizingcontamination of the collection and transfer system 12. The filtercartridge 18 is disposable and the potentially contaminating liquid 30is removed when the filter cartridge 18 is ejected.

In FIG. 7, the filter cartridge 18 has an absorbent annular ring 38disposed inside of the cavity 34 in the fluid trap 32. The ring 38 ismade of porous polyethylene treated with a surfactant to increaseabsorption. The ring 38 holds the liquid 30 in place to further minimizespillage and contamination.

Instead of bonding the fluid trap 32 to the tubular body 22, the fluidtrap 32 can be formed as part of the tubular body 22, as shown in FIGS.8, 9 and 10. While these figures show a fluid trap 32 formed into theextreme first end 28 of the tubular body 22, the fluid trap 32 can bealternatively formed anywhere in the first end 28 of the tubular body.Other than being formed as part of the tubular body 22, the fluid trap32 functions as described above to minimize contamination of thecollection and transfer system 12.

In FIGS. 11 and 12, the absorbent annular ring 38 is disposed around thefilter cartridge 18. The ring 38 is stretchable and it is slightlysmaller than the circumference of the filter cartridge 18. Consequently,when the ring 38 is stretched around the filter cartridge 18, as shownin FIG. 11, the ring 38 exerts an inwardly directed radial force thatholds the ring 38 onto the filter cartridge 18.

Although various embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed herein, it should be understood that the above description andfigures are for purposes of illustration only, and are not intended tobe limiting of the invention, which is defined only by the appendedclaims and their equivalents.

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A biological specimen collection and transfersystem, comprising: a biological specimen slide processor, including agrasper configured to submerge an open end of a specimen filter into afluid source, withdraw the open end of the specimen filter from of thefluid source, and invert the specimen filter; and a fluid trap extendingaround at least a portion of a circumference of the exterior surface ofthe tubular body and sized and shaped to catch fluid flowing along theexterior surface as the tubular body is inverted by the grasper.
 12. Thesystem of claim 11, the fluid trap comprising an absorbent member. 13.The system of claim 12, the absorbent member comprising an absorbentring.
 14. The system of claim 11, wherein the fluid trap comprising achannel.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the channel has a u-shapedcross-section.
 16. The system of claim 14, wherein the channel has av-shaped cross-section.
 17. The system of claim 14, further comprisingan absorbent member disposed in the channel.
 18. The system of claim 11,wherein the fluid trap comprises an annular flange attached to thetubular body.
 19. The system of claim 11, wherein the fluid trap isintegrally formed from the tubular body.
 20. (canceled)